Fazed
by PurpleVillains42
Summary: With Anakin out of commission and Obi-Wan sent elsewhere, the 501st needs a new General. Lena Orim has stepped up to take Anakin's place and has rattled the 501st's usually stoic Captain Rex. His feelings are not one-sided, which may lead to some questionable decisions. I don't own Star Wars or it's characters, only my OC's are mine.
1. Chapter 1

**A/N: Hello everyone! I've had this idea bouncing around in my head, and I wanted to write it so here we are. This story serves as an introduction to my OC Lena Orim. She will be the main character of a future fic titled Forces of Love. She is the grandmother of my OC Sanya Kenobi from my story Dark Hearts, which is still in progress. Because this is Star Wars, nothing is in order.**

 **This will not be a full blown fic, just a little side story from the not-yet-written Forces of Love. I wanted to write something involving one of my favorite characters from The Clone Wars series, Captain Rex. The chapters will probably be short, especially this first one. I hope you enjoy this story!**

Obi-Wan crossed his arms over his chest, shaking his head at the annoyed padawan standing before him. Ahsoka had been angrily opposing his decision to return to Coruscant after the disastrous outcome of their last strike on the planet below them. Anakin had been seriously injured and was currently being treated in a bacta tank. Obi-Wan had been called away by the council on another mission, which meant that the one he was currently on had to end.

"We've worked so hard! Anakin has worked so hard to get to this point, even getting hurt in the process!" the young Togruta fumed, "and you're just going to give up?"

Obi-Wan sighed and shook his head again.

"Ahsoka, we aren't giving up. The council needs me somewhere else and I can't leave you to handle this on your own. You don't have the experience."

Ahsoka threw her hands in the air, exasperated.

"I wouldn't be alone. Admiral Yularen and Rex will be here with me."

The clone trooper in question placed his hand on Ahsoka's shoulder in an attempt to calm her.

"Maybe you should listen to the General kid. We need a more experienced commander, no offense to you."

Ahsoka glared at her friend before looking back at Obi-Wan.

"I can handle this! Aren't you listening to me?"

Obi-Wan's reply was cut off by another voice coming from the door to the bridge.

"Listening is not his best skill. Where do you think Anakin got it from?"

Obi-Wan, Ahsoka, and Rex's heads turned to the source of the voice to see a woman entering the bridge. She wasn't very tall, but she exuded the power of a Jedi warrior. Her long light brown hair was tied up in an intricately braided bun, and her robes were typical of a Jedi.

Obi-Wan stared at the woman in disbelief. Ahsoka's previously angry expression quickly turned to a smile at the sight of the woman.

"Lena!" she shouted happily, closing the distance between them, wrapping her arms around the newcomer.

"Hello Ahsoka. It's good to see you. I wish it was under better circumstances."

Obi-Wan and Rex followed Ahsoka across the room to where the women were standing. Obi-Wan raised his eyebrows in confusion at Lena.

"What are you doing here?" he asked.

"Well, it's good to see you too General Kenobi," Lena replied, narrowing her eyes slightly.

Obi-Wan winced at the formality of her greeting, sensing that she was still upset about their last meeting. He sighed and rephrased his question.

"I'm sorry. I am simply wondering why you are here."

"I was sent to take General Skywalker's place on this mission. There will be no need for Ahsoka and company to return to Coruscant with you."

Obi-Wan reached up and stroked his beard thoughtfully.

"I was under the impression that there wasn't anyone the council could send to take Anakin's place. That was why we had to return."

Lena gestured to herself and then to the room.

"Well, I was available, so they sent me. I had just returned from a mission of my own, so they sent me to take Skywalker's place while he recovered. Keebo and Blaze can handle things while I'm away. I have more faith in my padawan than you seem to have in Ahsoka."

Obi-Wan frowned at Lena's attempt to start an argument. He didn't want to have an argument with her right now, especially not in front of Rex and Ahsoka.

"I guess I will prepare for my return to Coruscant then. I leave this ship and its occupants in your capable hands."

With a small bow of his head, Obi-Wan turned and left the bridge.

…

Lena watched Obi-Wan walk off of the bridge, glad that he was leaving. She didn't feel like dealing with their issues just yet. Turning to the two people still in her presence, her expression returned to a more pleasant one.

"Sorry about that, not all Jedi can get along all the time."

Ahsoka gave a small knowing smile.

"Don't I know it. That was nothing compared to what he and my master do most of the time. Sometimes I can't believe that they have been around each other for so long without killing each other."

Lena chuckled softly at Ahsoka's statement. She then turned to the silent Captain standing at Ahsoka's side, extending her hand.

"I'm sorry, we haven't been introduced. My name is Lena Orim."

Rex reached up and removed his helmet from his head before shaking the hand Lena offered.

"Captain Rex, sir."

Lena shook her head lightly.

"Please don't call me sir. You can call me General Orim or Lena. I've never cared to be called sir, and I just got my own troops to stop calling me that."

"Yes sir….uhhh Len….uhhh General," Rex sputtered.

Ahsoka covered her mouth to hide her laughter at Rex's babbling. Lena smiled at Rex, her grey eyes to crinkle in amusement.

"You'll get the hang of it eventually Rex. Now if you'll both excuse me, I'm going to my quarters. I've done a lot of traveling the past few days and I would like to start my command well rested."

Lena smiled at the pair of them before turning and leaving the bridge. Ahsoka elbowed Rex in the side playfully.

"Very smooth Rex."

…

Rex muttered something incoherent before leaving the bridge himself, turning the opposite way he had seen Lena go. He had met a lot of women and Jedi in his time with the Army of the Republic, even Jedi that were women. But none of them had caused him to stumble over his words like that before. He had been taken aback by her request to call her by her name. The way she had smiled at his vocal blunder had made his normally stern and respectful countenance disappear. This was going to be an interesting change of command.

 **A/N: I hope you all enjoyed the first chapter! Please review and let me know what you think.**


	2. Chapter 2

**A/N: Hello! I know it's been a bit since I posted the first chapter, for which I apologize for. Thank you so much to those that reviewed the first chapter, I really appreciate your feedback! Your thoughts are fuel for a writer and keep them going. I've been thinking about this fic a lot and I have decided that it will be longer than I originally planned. I hope you continue to enjoy the story! Again this chapter will be short, but enjoy!**

The next morning, Lena made her way to the ship's med bay to check on Anakin. As she walked through the doors into the room, she stopped in her tracks when she noticed Ahsoka standing in front of the bacta tank. Her small orange hand rested on the side of the tank, her face turned up to look at her master's unconscious face. Lena looked on from the door, not wanting to interrupt the private moment between master and padawan. She could hear Ahsoka's quiet voice speaking to him.

"I'm sorry master. If I had listened to you and retreated like you told me to, you wouldn't have had to save me and get hurt."

Lena looked at the young woman with pity at hearing her words. She made her way across the room and placed a hand on Ahsoka's shoulder. The young Togruta turned her face from her master to Lena.

"I'm sure he wouldn't blame you Ahsoka. The battlefield is an unpredictable place, with unpredictable outcomes. You are still young and have much to learn, especially when it comes to what you can handle and what you cannot. I'm sure Anakin understands that more than anyone. He's made his fair share of mistakes."

Ahsoka sighed and shook her head.

"If I had just listened to him, he wouldn't be floating in this bacta tank right now. Master Plo always says that I am to headstrong for my own good."

Lena gave Ahsoka a small smile.

"Well, that means that you and Anakin are a perfect match then. You should have seen how he acted when he was younger. Has he ever told you what he did on Naboo?"

Ahsoka chuckled softly, her mouth turning up in a knowing smile.

"He embellishes the story a bit. Master Kenobi and Senator Amidala told me what really happened. It seems that he has been reckless his entire life."

Lena's smile faded as she turned to look at Anakin's floating form in the bacta tank. The scratches and bruises on his face and torso were healing quickly in the healing solution, but he still looked fairly battered. For someone so young, he had been through a lot. The war was taking a toll on all the Jedi, including herself.

Her hand drifted down to her right side where she knew a scar lay under her clothing. The war had barely started and she had been shot by a droid blaster on Geonosis. The pain had been nearly unbearable. Luckily her new commander Blaze had been there to get her off the battlefield and to a medic. She considered herself lucky though, as many had not survived the battle. She had spent some time in a bacta tank alongside other Jedi after Geonosis, including Obi-Wan and Anakin.

"Lena? Are you alright?" Ahsoka's voice called out to her, bringing her back to the present.

Lena shook her head to clear the past from her mind, turning her attention to the young woman beside her. She placed her arm around Ahsoka's shoulders and guided her towards the door.

"Why don't we head to the bridge. We can't let Anakin's valuable work go to waste."

The two women walked down the hallway of the large battle cruiser in the direction of the bridge, talking about what had been going on in their lives since they had last seen each other. As they rounded a corner, they nearly ran into Rex and another trooper. The four of them stopped short and the men dipped their heads in acknowledgment.

"Commander. General," the unknown trooper greeted.

Rex didn't say anything beyond the respectful nod to both women. Lena smiled at both troopers, her eyes lingering on Rex. He seemed to have something on his mind. She mentally shrugged and turned her attention to the other trooper, whom Ahsoka was introducing.

"This is ARC Trooper-5555, otherwise known as Fives."

Lena offered her hand to Fives to shake, which he accepted.

"It's nice to meet you Fives, you may call me Lena or General Orim. I hope to meet more of the troopers as I spend time here. We were on our way to the bridge to talk about the progress that has been made and what we still need to do. Would you care to join us?"

Again without saying anything, Rex turned and gestured down the hall in the direction he and Fives had come from. Lena and Fives started in the direction he pointed, making conversation between themselves. Ahsoka turned and looked at Rex, raising her eyebrows questionably.

"You know you are allowed to talk to her right? She doesn't bite."

Rex watched Lena and Fives walk down the hall, his feet firmly in place where he stood. He wasn't used to the feelings he encountered when Lena was around. This had been only the second interaction they'd had and he had felt his throat constrict at the sight of her. His heart both sped up and stopped at the same time.

"You're attracted to her you dummy," Ahsoka's voice broke through his cloudy mind.

Rex looked down at the padawan standing beside him, giving her a small hint of a smile.

"Stay out of my head kid. There's nothing serious going on in there."

Ahsoka shook her head, her mouth turned up in a smile.

"Whatever you say Rex. Just letting you know that it's normal to be attracted to a woman. I know you don't see many of them other than me, so I wanted to make sure you knew that."

Rex gently shoved her shoulder in jest, his usual attitude returning.

"Of course I know that, I'm not an idiot. There's just a slight problem of her being a Jedi and my current commanding officer. Those two things serve as a bit of a roadblock."

"You'd be surprised on her views of the Jedi code when it comes to attraction and acting on it, believe me."

Rex raised an eyebrow at Ahsoka's words.

"You mean the tension between her and General Kenobi yesterday was….?"

Ahsoka nodded affirmatively.

"A lover's spat. Or rather an almost lover's spat. Master Skywalker told me they have been dancing around each other for the last decade, but something always comes between them. It's not the Jedi code either. This time, I think it has to do with another woman. They think that no one notices, but we do. She might be glad to have a different man draw her attention."

Ahsoka turned away from Rex and followed Lena and Fives to the bridge, leaving him alone in the hallway.

Rex pondered Ahsoka's words briefly before shaking his head to clear his thoughts. It was a bad idea, and dwelling on it wouldn't help. He straightened himself up and followed the other three to the bridge to discuss the mission.

 **A/N: I found a December/Holiday themed prompt for every day in December for little one-shots that I think I want to write. Let me know if you would be interested in reading them. I plan on writing them with Rex/Lena as well as Kylo/Sanya from my other story Dark Hearts. Hope you enjoyed this chapter. It will take me a while to get in the swing of things, as I've never written Rex or Clone Wars stuff before, so bear with me! Please review and let me know what you think!**


	3. Chapter 3

**A/N: Sorry for the long time between updates! Still trying to figure out where I want to go with this story. I posted the first one-shot for this pairing. The series is titled Winter Without War, and you can find it on my profile. Hope you enjoy this chapter!**

Lena looked over the schematics and reports from Anakin's previous mission strikes. The goal was simple, defeat the Separatist army on the planet below and protect any local people. Anakin and his troops had managed to push back the droid army a considerable amount before the explosion that had landed the general in the bacta tank. All she had to do was pick up where he left off and continue eradicating the army.

"Did General Skywalker have any kind of plan in place for how to eliminate the remaining droid forces?" Lena asked the others around the briefing table.

Ahsoka shook her head as a chorus of sighs filled the room. Lena glanced from face to face to see that what she had feared was true. Anakin didn't have a plan, as usual.

"I guess that was a stupid question to ask when Skywalker is involved."

The group let out a collective laugh and Rex spoke the first words he'd said since entering the bridge.

"General Skywalker isn't good at making plans. He mostly just says 'follow me' before jumping right in the middle of the fight."

Lena rolled her eyes and prayed silently to the force to give her strength to not put Anakin immediately back into the bacta tank when he recovered. She would have thought that Obi-Wan, the great strategist, would have taught his padawan better. Then again, Anakin had always had a mind of his own.

"Well, we are just going to have to come up with a plan then. Any ideas?"

The room was silent as everyone studied what the briefing table was displaying, trying to come up with a plan of attack. Ahsoka piped up from across the table, pulling in Lena's attention.

"We could split up into separate groups and come at the remaining forces from all sides. That way, they would have nowhere to go and we could easily destroy them all."

Lena pondered Ahsoka's suggestion, her eyes scanning the detailed map before her. Pointing at different places around the side of the droid camp, she separated them into groups.

"Ahsoka, you take some men and approach the camp from the west. Fives can come from the north, Rex can take the south, and I will come from the east. If we all work together, we should be able to eliminate the remaining forces and free that area of the planet from Separatist control."

Rex and Fives nodded in agreement, leaving the bridge to gather their men. Lena reached out and turned off the briefing table, causing the mission layout to disappear. She turned at the sound of a voice at her side.

"I must say General Orim, your need to have a plan beforehand is a nice change from what General Skywalker usually does. I swear he takes a year off my life every time he suggests that the troops 'wing it' if things go wrong," the tall mustached man at her side said.

"I know the feeling Admiral Yularen. I've known Anakin since he was nine. 'Just wing it' is his life motto."

The man beside her frowned and shook his head.

"I think it's time he got a new motto."

Lena laughed softly and smiled at the Admiral. It seemed that Obi-Wan was not the only one gaining grey hairs from Anakin's antics on the battlefield. She had hoped that getting a padawan would have slowed him down a bit, but it didn't seem to have had any affect.

"When he gets out of the bacta tank, I'll make sure he knows that. I would hate for you to have to forcibly retire because you assaulted your general for stupidity."

Admiral Yularen let out a chuckle, his stern face softening a bit.

"Any chance I could transfer to your command General?" he asked hopefully.

Lana laughed again, placing her hand on his arm.

"I'm sorry Admiral, but I don't want to set Anakin on Admiral Yung. I'm not sure the two of them would survive the transfer."

Admiral Yularen nodded in agreement to Lena's statement, thinking of his comrade Karlin Yung.

"I wouldn't want to do that to him either. I guess I will settle for Skywalker. I will let you go assemble your men for the attack. Good luck down there General."

"Thank you Admiral."

….

Lena stepped off the gunship when it reached the planet's surface, looking around to get a feel for her surroundings. They were a ways out from the Separatist camp, not wanting to be detected as they made their approach. She pressed the button on her wrist comm, speaking to the others in charge of the different groups.

"Let me know when you are in position. East squadron moving out."

She gestured to the men behind her and began her trek through the foliage and long grass towards the Separatist camp. Once they had gotten within a reasonable attack distance, she spoke into her wrist comm again.

"East squadron in position."

Lena waited in anticipation as the other three groups relayed that they were ready to begin the attack.

"North squad in position."

"West squad in position."

"South squad in position."

Lena nodded to the men near her before giving the final order to attack. Once she had confirmation they were ready, she gave the order.

"Let's finish what we came to do."

She reached to her belt and grabbed her lightsaber, the blue blade igniting as she quickly moved forward towards the camp. As she came out of the grass, she sliced a few battle droids in half. The rest of her squadron followed behind her, firing shots at the other droids ahead of them.

"What the…..?" one droid started before it was blasted to the ground.

The entire group advanced on the rest of the droids that had started to return fire. Lena could hear the fighting coming from the other ends of the camp, and gave a quick glance around to see how things were going. Ahsoka had managed to make her way directly into the center with Fives nearing her position. They destroyed droids left and right, clearing a path to the command center. Lena continued on her path towards the center, wiping out any droids in her path.

Before long, all of the droids had been destroyed with no casualties on their side. Lena looked around the encampment, puzzled by the low number of droids that had been stationed there.

"Is it just me, or was this too easy?" Rex asked, coming up alongside her.

As the words left his mouth, blaster fire filled the camp as more droids made their way out of the grass. Lena and Ahsoka moved together, deflecting blaster bolts away from them. The stream of droids kept coming, pushing the group further and further back.

"We aren't going to be able to defeat them!" Lena shouted to the group, "retreat to the south!"

The remaining troops that hadn't been taken out by the surprise droid attack turned and fled in the direction Lena had ordered them. Lena and Ahsoka waited until all of the troops had fled into the grass before following them, continuing to block the blaster bolts being shot at them. Once they had gotten a safe distance away from the droid army, Lena spoke into her wrist comm again.

"We are going to need a pickup south of the Separatist encampment. I'm afraid our plan did not go as we thought it would."

Lena looked around at the remaining troops, disheartened by the lower number then had been present when they landed. She never liked losing troops, even though she was supposed to think of them as disposable. Each of the men she had just lost had a name given to them by their brothers. They each had an identity. Now those men were gone, another loss to the Clone War that they had been forced into.

Her eyes found Rex's across the clearing and she could feel his disappointment at their failure. Her first day in command and she had already lost some of the 501st. She knew that would be a black mark in Rex's book, which would hinder her ability to gain his respect and trust as a commander.

"Don't worry about it so much Lena," Ahsoka's voice piped up from behind her, "even with a good plan, sometimes the battles don't go well."

Lena turned and looked at the young woman standing behind her. A hopeful gleam was in her eyes, not dampened by the effects of the war yet.

"I know that Ahsoka. But each time we go against an army of any sort, we lose good people, both Jedi and troopers alike. Even before the Clone War started, we lost good people. The Republic has never been at peace in my lifetime, and I doubt it ever will be. Even if we win this war, what will the cost be?"

Ahsoka's hopeful look faded slightly at Lena's words, her mouth sinking into a frown.

"I've heard many people say the same thing, especially Senator Amidala. Hopefully the fighting will end before too many lives are lost."

Lena's eyes scanned the group again, taking in the small number of troops left from their landing party. Some were helping others that were injured, while others started taking stock of who was lost and who was still there.

"I hope you're right Ahsoka."

 **A/N: I know this chapter is a bit filler-like, but they are in a war after all. I hope to have another chapter up tomorrow or the next day. Please go take a look at the Winter Without War story on my profile if you are interested in some happy Rex/Lena one-shots. I hope to add more when I have time. Hope you enjoyed this chapter. Please review and let me know what you think!**


	4. Chapter 4

**A/N: Hello everyone! It has been a long time! I have been focusing on a different fic of mine and I am afraid that I let my other fics slip into the cracks. With the announcement of the revival of The Clone Wars, my love for this fandom and this fic has been renewed. I hope to return to updating this on a regular basis. This chapter will be a bit short as I get back into the feeling of this story. Much love to anyone that is still around and willing to read! Enjoy this chapter and please review!**

When the survivors of the failed mission had returned to the ship, Lena took a close look at the recent scans of the planet. It appeared that the Separatists had been able to bring in more droid reinforcements without their knowledge. Her eyes swept over the larger amount of glowing dots on the map that had not been present before their trip to the surface. Her heart sank at the thought that their efforts may have been for nothing. The planet was almost completely under Separatist control again. Anakin's previous progress had been completely undone.

Lena slammed her hands down on the side of the hologram in frustration. The lives of the troops she had just lost had been wasted on a suicide mission. They never would have succeeded. They had walked into a trap. She turned off the table, clearing away the hologram of the planet below. When she turned to leave the room, Lena was startled by the presence of another person. Rex stood in the doorway of the briefing room, watching her silently.

"Captain Rex. I didn't know you were here," Lena stated, standing up straighter and regaining her composure.

Rex crossed the room and placed his helmet down on the table before turning it back on. He looked over the diagram that Lena had been looking at, silently scanning the increased number of Separatist troops. Lena turned to leave the room, figuring that he was disappointed in their failure and no desire to discuss it. When she reached the doorway, she was stopped by the sound of his voice.

"It's not your fault General. We didn't have all the information we needed," Rex said softly.

Lena looked over her shoulder to see he had turned to look at her. She gave him a small grateful smile before responding.

"I know that. It still doesn't change the fact that it was a mistake that cost us many troops. We won't be making that mistake again."

Lena left the room, letting the door close behind her. She walked across the bridge to the communications officer and cleared her throat to get his attention.

"Please contact the Jedi temple on Coruscant. I need to speak with Master Windu."

The officer nodded and did as she requested. Lena turned to face the holographic table behind her, waiting for the response from the temple. Before long, the image of Masters WIndu and Yoda appeared.

"General Orim. How are things progressing?" Windu asked.

Lena shook her head in disappointment. "I'm afraid things have taken a turn for the worse Masters. The number of Separatist droids has increased. Reinforcements were brought in without our knowledge. We walked right into a trap and lost a good share of our landing party."

Master Yoda raised his hand to his chin, scratching it thoughtfully.

"Think time it is to retreat, do you?" he asked.

Lena shook her head again. "I don't think we are at that point yet. I would like to request that my padawan and troops join us. With more of us, I believe that we could make some progress. At the moment, we are simple outnumbered. If we are able to make a sizable dent in the reinforcements, we could have a chance of regaining the planet."

Windu and Yoda look at each other and seemed to have some form of silent conversation. Lena waited patiently while they made their decision. When they both returned their attention to her, Windu finally spoke.

"Very well. I will get in communication with Commander Blaze and Admiral Yung to let them know you need their assistance. Your padawan has been asking about you since you left, so I'm sure she would be happy to join you."

Lena smiled at the mention of Keebo's interest. She was always ready to go where she was needed, always eager to help.

"Thank you Masters. Hopefully next time I will have better news."

The hologram disappeared as the conversation ended and Lena's attention was brought to the sound of Ahsoka entering the bridge, shouting excitedly at anyone that would listen.

"Master Skywalker is out of the bacta tank and awake!"

Lena let out a sigh of relief at the news of Anakin's speedy recovery. She walked over to Ahsoka and placed her hand on her shoulder.

"That is wonderful news Ahsoka. Let's go see how he is."

Ahsoka nodded and turned to look at the door to the briefing room that had opened, revealing Rex. She waved him over, relaying the good news to him. The three of them made their way from the bridge in the direction of the infirmary. When they arrived, they found Anakin sitting up in a bed. Kix was tending to the bandages that remained on Anakin's skin to cover the wounds that hadn't fully healed in the bacta solution. Both men looked up at the sound of the visitors and Anakin's face lit up.

"Lena! What are you doing here?" he asked.

Lena crossed the room to his side and crossed her arms over her chest, pinning him with a look of concern.

"I was brought here to take over your command since you decided to get yourself blown up."

Anakin's expression changed to one resembling a scolded child, which made Lena smile. He always did that when she scolded him. He was the closest thing Lena had to a little brother, and she took her role very seriously when he did something reckless.

"I wouldn't say that I decided to get myself blown up," Anakin said in his defense, "it just kind of happened."

Lena let out a quiet laugh at his response. She uncrossed her arms and patted Anakin's shoulder gently, her stern expression easing into a smile.

"Well, I'm glad that you have been making a speedy recovery."

"He still has some recovering to do. Bacta can only do so much I'm afraid," Kix said as he entered information into his tablet.

Anakin shrugged like it was nothing. Lena rolled her eyes at his lack of concern for his own well-being. She turned to look at Rex, who had been standing at her side silently. He seemed equally annoyed by Anakin's attitude, which amused Lena greatly. Her eyes drifted back to Ahsoka, who stood behind Rex, her earlier excitement dampened. Anakin followed her glance and peered around Rex at his apprentice.

"Snips? Everything alright?" he inquired.

Ahsoka stepped out from behind Rex, her eyes cast downward.

"I'm sorry that I didn't listen to you Master. If I had listened to your orders, you never would have gotten hurt."

Lena stepped back to let the two of them speak, with Rex right behind her. They left the infirmary and moved into the hallway, giving Anakin and Ahsoka the privacy they deserved. Lena gave Rex a small wave before turning to walk down the hall, but stopped when he spoke.

"General, may I speak freely?"

Lena turned back to him and nodded. "Of course Rex."

Lena could sense that he was nervous, but she wasn't sure why. Rex shifted where he stood before speaking again.

"I've never met a Jedi that was so bothered by the impact this war has on the troops. General Skywalker is always concerned, and the Commander is kind, but you seem genuinely upset. I just wanted to let you know that I appreciate your concern for our lives. It's nice to be recognized as something other than disposable soldiers."

Lena smiled at his words and gestured to the other troopers that were walking through the hall. "I appreciate the sacrifices that all of you make every time you step into battle. You didn't ask for this, even if that is what you were engineered for. Every one of you and your brothers is an individual man with an individual identity, even if you all have the same face and blood running through your veins."

Rex's mouth twitched into the closest thing to a smile Lena had seen on his face.

"We don't hear that as often as we like. Thank you General," he said.

"Please call me Lena. I make an effort to call all of my men by their names and get to know them. I wish to do the same here, so I will extend the same courtesy to you by calling you Rex rather than Captain."

Rex looked surprised by her request. Lena had been questioned on her informality with her troops by numerous other Jedi, but she didn't let it bother her. They deserved to have their individuality recognized, not just their rank and identification number.

"I am going to retire to my quarters. I will see you in the morning Rex," she said before starting to walk away again, leaving him with a slightly stunned look on his face.

Rex watched Lena walk away from him and turn the corner. He could feel the stupid expression that he had on his face and shifted it back to his normally blank form. Lena seemed to have some sort of effect on him that he couldn't control. Maybe Ahsoka was right, he was attracted to her. He didn't have any previous experience with the feeling, so he had no way to affirm his feelings.

Turning around, he walked in the direction of his own quarters. His mind reeled at the thought of his possible feelings. What good would it do him? As soon as General Skywalker recovered, Lena would be leaving. With the way things worked with the war, it was likely he wouldn't see her again. The other thing to consider was their positions. He was a Clone soldier, no matter how individual she thought he was, and he had duty to the Republic. He knew other troops had 'relationships' with people on Coruscant, but he had never considered it. Also, she was a Jedi. Even if what Ahsoka about Lena's feelings about the Jedi code was true, he doubted she would look to a clone for companionship. He couldn't compete with General Kenobi.

When Rex reached his quarters, he was more out of sorts than he had been in Lena's presence. He shed his armor, leaving him in his under suit. He sat on his bed, resting elbows on his knees and placing his chin on his folded hands. Staring at the blank wall in front of him, his mind sorted through every possible situation he could think of. None of them seemed plausible. It wasn't worth worrying about if nothing would come of it, so he made up his mind that he would keep his feelings to himself and suffer in silence.

 **A/N: Hope you enjoyed this chapter! Please review and let me know what you think. Reviews are writer fuel!**


	5. Chapter 5

It took several days for Lena's reinforcements to arrive. When the cruiser emerged from hyperspace, she was glad to see it. Anakin had been itching to return to battle, but he had agreed to wait for her troops to arrive. When the ship got closer, Lena saw a smaller vessel leave the hangar and head in their direction. She left the bridge and made her way to the hangar on her current ship, sending out a message to her fellow commanding officers to meet her down there. She reached the hangar just as the doors closed behind the incoming vessel, Anakin and Ahsoka close on her heels. Rex was already standing near the landing area, his helmet tucked under his arm. He nodded to the approaching Jedi before turning his attention to the shuttle before him. The hatch opened, revealing three figures that brought a smile to Lena's face.

"Welcome my friends," she called out as she stepped forward to greet the newcomers.

A young orange Twi-lek woman descended from the shuttle, followed by a clone commander in white and purple armor, and Admiral with black hair and a serious expression. Lena indicated to each as she introduced them.

"This is my padawan Keebo Torra, Commander Blaze, and Admiral Karlin Yung."

Anakin stepped forward and offered his hand in greeting to each person, introducing himself and his team to Blaze and Yung. Ahsoka gave Keebo a small wave in greeting, which was responded to with a smile and a wink.

"Hey kiddo, how's life on the front treating you?" Keebo said.

Ahsoka shrugged, looking up at her master, "Could be better, but that's war for you."

Keebo laughed softly, elbowing the Commander beside her. "Blaze complains that his doesn't get enough action. He wishes he could see the front of the war more."

Blaze turned his head towards Keebo. "I never said that. I just feel that we see to many easy battles. It seems like a waste of effort."

He reached up and removed his helmet, revealing his bright orange hair. Lena watched as Rex's eyes widened and chuckled softly to herself. Each trooper did something to express their individuality, but most of them did so through tattoos. Very few dyed their hair, as it required more upkeep. Blaze's orange hair always confused people when he removed his helmet.

"Don't worry Blaze, you will see plenty of action soon," Anakin said, gesturing that the group follow him to the bridge to talk about the situation at hand.

Rex and Blaze walked at the back of the group as they made their way towards the bridge. Rex glanced over at his brother's hair again, marveling at its color.

"Don't you worry that your hair will make you stand out? Make it hard to blend into your surroundings?"

Blaze laughed at Rex's question. "That's rich coming from you blondie."

Rex's hand went to his own dyed hair defensively. "I keep mine short though, so it isn't as obvious."

Blaze shrugged, running his hand through his bright hair. "To each their own. I know it's a real hit with the ladies."

Keebo turned and gave Blaze a dirty look from where she walked in front of them. He winked at her in response, which only confused Rex more. He had known some of his brothers to be overly friendly and flirtatious, but never with a Jedi, especially not their commanding officer. Judging by the interactions earlier between the two, they were close. His eyes drifted to the front of the group to where Lena was walking with General Skywalker and Admiral Yung. He wondered if she knew about it and if it was a problem in her eyes. Ahsoka had said that Lena was one that was more lenient with the Jedi code, maybe her padawan shared that viewpoint.

Blaze seemed to notice that he had withdrawn from the conversation. He nudged Rex's arm to get his attention. "You alright in there Captain?"

Rex stopped in his tracks with Blaze following suit. Rex looked at his brother with concern. "Did I just witness what I think I did?"

Blaze's eyes widened a little, but he quickly composed his face. "What do you mean? All I did was wink at her. No harm there."

Rex narrowed his eyes at Blaze. Something seemed off, but he wasn't going to accuse him of lying. He shook his head and continued walking again. Blaze caught up to him and kept stride, but Rex kept his eyes focused forward. He could have been imagining things, letting wishful thinking get in the way of his judgement.

The group reached the bridge and walked into the briefing room to view the most recent scan of the planet so they could come up with a plan to defeat the Separatist forces. Rex stood silently as everyone made suggestions on what to do. Every reckless suggestion that Skywalker made was shot down by Lena immediately. Admiral Yung offered a suggestion that was similar to the original plan they had used before when they were ambushed.

"We tried that last time, it didn't work," Ahsoka said with a disappointed sigh.

Rex looked over the groups of dots on the map. There was a camp that sat alone a short distance from a small town on the surface. It was more isolated than any of the other groups, but it also had a sizable amount of droids present.

"We could do something similar to what we did before, but attack this area first," he said, pointing to the area on the map. "It's more isolated so we can take it easily and move on from there."

Lena looked at where he was pointing and seemed deep in thought. She pointed to the town near the Separatist camp, a concerned expression covering her face.

"If we aren't careful, we could further endanger the people living in this town. That being said, we also want to rid them of the nuisance of a droid army in their back yard."

"So is that what you think we should do?" Anakin asked.

Lena nodded and smiled at Rex. "Good idea Rex."

Rex felt his heart jump slightly at her praise and smile. He almost returned the smile, but stopped himself. He internally scolded himself for acting like a lovesick shiny. He had only known her for a few days, but he knew that if she asked him to jump, he would ask how high and permission to come back down. A small laugh at his side brought his attention to the Togruta standing beside him. He narrowed his eyes at Ahsoka and sighed.

"I thought I told you to stay out of my head," he said under his breath.

"I'm sorry Rex but it's so amusing," Ahsoka smirked at him and looked pointedly at Lena, who was conversing with the others on the other side of the table. "Just be thankful it's me in your head and not her."

Rex's eyes widened at that thought. He had never considered that Lena would hear what he was thinking about her. He could be making a huge fool of himself and never know it.

"Don't worry Rex," Ahsoka said in an effort to ease his panic, "I doubt she's reading your mind. I only do it occasionally to see what's going on in there."

Rex relaxed and pinned Ahsoka with a serious look. "Well cut it out."

"Yes Captain!" Ahsoka said, giving him a mock salute before walking away to talk to Keebo.

Rex rolled his eyes and picked up his helmet. As he turned to walk away, he bumped into Blaze. The carefree attitude that Blaze had before had disappeared and he narrowed his eyes at Rex. Rex felt the panic rise again at the thought that Blaze had heard his conversation with Ahsoka.

"Yes Commander?" Rex asked, trying to keep his expression neutral.

"I just want to make sure that there is no disrespect towards General Orim. I know a lot of troopers underestimate her, and I would hate for you to be one of them."

Rex sighed in relief. It seemed that Blaze only heard half of the conversation and had assumed something different.

"It's nothing like that at all Commander. I have great respect for the General, as I do for all Jedi Generals."

Blaze seemed to relax his stance a little, but he still looked suspicious. "Then what are you hiding from her that Padawan Tano finds so amusing?"

Rex's breath hitched in his throat. For someone with such an easy-going nature, Blaze was very observant and protective.

"I assure you, it is nothing serious," he said.

"What's going on?" a voice said, interrupting the conversation between the two troopers.

Both Rex and Blaze jumped at the sound of Lena's voice. Rex turned and looked at the woman, giving her a slight nod of his head.

"Nothing Gen.." he started to say.

Lena gave him a mock look of disappointment, causing him to change his address. "Sorry. Nothing Lena. Blaze and I were just talking about the upcoming battle."

Lena glanced between the two men in front of her before turning and walking towards the door of the briefing room, calling out behind her, "I'll see you both in the loading bay in two hours."

Rex watched her walk away and let out a sigh of relief that like Blaze, she had only heard part of the conversation. The last thing he needed was her believing that he didn't respect her and her authority. He turned his attention back to Blaze, only to be surprised by his change in expression. Blaze's more friendly personality had returned and he looked amused.

"I see what it is now," he said chuckling, "you don't have an issue with respecting her. You just respect her a little too much."

Rex shook his head and walked out of the room. He needed to get away from Blaze before he lost his ability to keep his face in check and give away everything. Unfortunately, Blaze followed him out of the briefing room and into the hallway outside the bridge. He grabbed Rex's arm and pulled him into an empty storage room. Rex pulled his arm out of Blaze's grasp and spun around to face him.

"I don't know where you got your theory, but you can forget about it. I respect General Orim and that is it," Rex said.

Blaze crossed his arms over his chest and raised an eyebrow in disbelief. Rex had only just met Blaze, but he was already growing tired of him. He was more persistent than Ahsoka.

"I've seen that look before Captain. You aren't the first one of our brothers to fall for someone, so I know what it looks like when one of us is smitten."

Rex shook his head defiantly. "I am not smitten with anyone, much less a Jedi."

Blaze's expression softened. "You also aren't the first one to fall for a Jedi."

Rex was confused by Blaze's statement before it dawned on him. Had he been correct with his initial assumption about Blaze and Keebo?

"It isn't easy, but love never is," Blaze continued. "If it helps, you may even have a chance."

Rex's eyes widened in surprise. "What do you mean?"

"If you are half the man that I've heard about, you would be perfect for her. It would be nice to see her smile again. You could help heal the rift left behind by someone else."

Rex couldn't believe what Blaze was saying. He was encouraging him to pursue a Jedi, a Jedi he may never see again after they were done working together.

"It's not my place to do so. She's out of my league. I highly doubt that I'm the right choice to replace General Kenobi."

Blaze seemed surprised that he knew Kenobi was the one behind Lena's heartbreak. Rex wasn't going to elaborate on the fact that he knew nothing else about the situation, but he felt he had made his point. He pushed past Blaze to leave the room, but stopped when Blaze spoke again.

"She could surprise you."

Rex shook his head and walked away, letting the door close behind him, silencing Blaze and his suggestions.

 **A/N: Hope you enjoyed the chapter. Please review and let me know what you think! Reviews are writer fuel!**


	6. Chapter 6

**A/N: I thought I should mention that this story starts around the beginning of Season 3 of TCW, just so you guys have an idea of the time frame. Between the time Fives becomes an ARC trooper and before the time jump. Hope you enjoy this chapter!**

As they made their descent back to the planet's surface, Rex mentally prepared himself for the battle ahead. Even though they had more support this time and were taking on a small group of droids, he was still concerned that this battle would have a similar outcome to the previous two. Troops would be lost, people would get hurt, not to mention that they could fail entirely and the planet would be lost to the Republic. It wasn't that he didn't have confidence in his brothers or his idea to take the camp, but he had a feeling in his gut that something was going to go wrong.

Once they landed, the sides of the landing craft opened, allowing the occupants to step out onto the ground. Rex took his place beside Ahsoka and Skywalker, his eyes scanning the area in front of them. Past the tall grass, he could see the distant outline of the Separatist camp. When the reinforcements came, they must have brought a living being with them as there was a tent in the middle of the camp. That changed things a bit. Rex listened as Skywalker talked on his wrist comm to Lena, who was positioned on the other side of the camp with her troops.

"We apparently have a non-droid opponent in this camp," he said.

Lena's voice sounded annoyed when she replied. "I can see that. Our previous plan of complete destruction may need to change. There may be a valuable hostage we can get out of this."

Rex was surprised by Lena's suggestion. She didn't seem like the type to enjoy taking hostages. Blaze had told him not to underestimate her. Skywalker seemed to agree with Lena's suggestion.

"So get in, destroy all the droids, and take whoever is in that tent hostage? That's the plan?" he asked.

"In a nutshell," came Lena's answer.

Rex looked to Skywalker for orders. The Jedi simply ignited his lightsaber, with Ahsoka following suit. With a hand gesture, he ordered the troops forward, making their way towards the camp. As they got closer to the camp, Skywalker rose from his stooped form to reveal himself. The battle droids on the outer edge of the camp didn't have time to raise their blasters before he cut them down. Droids further from them reacted faster than their comrades, raising their blasters to fire at the advancing troops. They were quickly disposed of by blaster-fire. The noise called attention from the Separatist camp, giving Rex many targets to point his blasters at as more droids moved out to meet them.

He could hear more blaster-fire from the other side of the encampment, which meant that Lena's forces had also attacked. There was no turning back now. Rex and his brothers pushed further into the camp, blasting droids down as they went. Ahsoka and her master had surged forward, taking down multiple droids as they went. Rex wanted to keep them in his sights so he moved in the direction they were heading, guarding their backs from attack. It didn't take long for them to reach the center, but when they did, they were met with more droids than they had encountered on the way in. Whoever was here was very important, but apparently couldn't be bothered to join the battle.

Rex noticed Lena and Keebo making their way into the center with Blaze at their backs, similar to what he was doing with his Jedi companions. Lena and Keebo seemed to flow better together than Ahsoka and her master. Rather than going off in opposite directions like he often saw with Skywalker, the two of them worked together. While he was watching the two of them, he lost his focus and was nearly taken out by a group of super battle droids. He disposed of two of them, but they were too close and fell on him, knocking him to the ground. Super battle droids were a lot heavier than their smaller counterparts, especially two of them. Rex was surprised when they lifted off him and he was able to get to his feet. He turned to look and noticed that Lena had paused her fighting to save him from his own stupidity. He gave her a small wave to indicate his gratitude, and returned to focusing on the task at hand.

* * *

Lena saw Rex go down out of the corner of her eye. He was pinned underneath the limp forms of the super battle droids he had disposed of. Keeping half her focus on what was happening around her, Lena reached out her hand and used the force to lift the dead weight off of him. Once the debris had been removed, she watched him clamor back to his feet and give her a wave. Satisfied that he was alright, she brought her focus back to the battle around her.

Keebo was edging closer and closer to the entrance of the tent, with Blaze covering her movements. While Lena had been distracted with Rex, they had moved away from her, breaking their close grouping that protected them on the battlefield. She felt exposed and could tell there was a gap in their defenses without her in her usual position. Lena swung her lightsaber around, eliminating the droids that had come between her and the pair. She made to step forward towards them when they were suddenly flung in her direction. Keebo collided with her, knocking both women to the ground alongside Blaze. Stunned, Lena slowly sat up and looked in the direction they had come from in confusion. What, or rather who, she saw made her eyes widen in panic.

The Separatist leader they had agreed to capture had emerged from his tent, a red blade glowing in his hand. Anakin had stopped destroying droids when he noticed the man's presence. His eyes darted between Dooku and Lena. Lena watched from the ground as he took a defensive stand between them.

"Skywalker. I can't say I was expecting you outside my door when I awoke this morning," Dooku drawled.

Lena got to her feet, pulling her padawan up beside her. Blaze had stood as well and had placed himself between the two woman and the sith lord alongside Anakin. Dooku simply sighed and like he had before, sent Blaze flying backwards with the force. Lena and Keebo scrambled out of the way. Keebo ran to Blaze's side to help back to his feet.

"I see that your soldiers are as much of a let-down as their general," Dooku remarked snidely, peering around Anakin to sneer at Lena.

Lena reignited her lightsaber and moved to stand next to Anakin. He looked down at her with uncertainty.

"Lena? Don't do anything you'll regret," he said quietly to her, keeping an eye on Dooku.

"As much as a failure that you think I am, you would think that you would have disposed of me already," Lena said with determination.

"Good idea," Dooku said with a dark look before raising his hand towards Lena.

Lena wasn't prepared for the intense pain that hit her when Dooku used his force lightning against her. She dropped her lightsaber, the blade turning off as she hit the ground. Several voices cried out in anger and all Lena could see was blurry shapes as the sound of lightsabers clashing reached her ears. The sparking pain spreading through her body left Lena defenseless on the ground. As it subsided, her eyes slowly refocused and she saw the scene in front of her.

As soon as she had gone down, Keebo had jumped to action faster than Anakin could react. The two of them were dueling Dooku a short distance away. A gentle touch on her shoulder caused Lena too look up and notice Rex standing above her. She took his offered hand and he helped her to her feet.

"You alright?" he asked with concern.

Lena nodded and picked up her lightsaber. She ignited it, fully determined to help Keebo and Anakin against Dooku. She felt something stop her movement and looked down to see Rex's gloved hand holding her back.

"Not so fast General. You took quite a shock. General Skywalker has this handled," Rex said, indicating to the fight between the force users.

Lena looked again in the direction he was pointing and noticed that Ahsoka had joined the fight. Another glance around her told her that most of the droids had been destroyed. The ones that were left were being dispatched by clones in various areas of the camp. The troops seemed to be waiting for the Jedi to finish Dooku, not getting involved in the fight.

Lena's head perked up at the sound of a sharp cry. Her eyes swiftly moved to the fight and she noticed that Anakin was alone in his fight against Dooku. She scanned the area to see Keebo and Ahsoka on the ground where they had been flung. It seemed to be a favorite trick of Dooku's to send opponents flying. Pulling out of Rex's grasp, Lena unsteadily crossed the distance to where the padawans had landed. Ahsoka seemed unhurt but Keebo was nursing her arm, wincing in pain.

Lena's concern for her padawan and anger at her own dismissal flared inside her. Despite Rex's warning, she ignited her ignited her lightsaber again and charged towards Dooku and Anakin. Anakin seemed to be struggling against the sith lord, weakened by his still healing state. Lena's anger fueled her as she swung her lightsaber at Dooku. He blocked her strike easily and pushed her away using the momentum of her own blow. Calling on the strength of the force, Lena decided to use one of his own tricks against him. Using as much effort as she could, she pushed against Dooku with the force. Thankfully, Anakin had a similar idea and the two of them were able to knock the Count off balance. He stumbled and lost his footing, falling onto the face of a nearby rock. Anakin and Lena both pointed their lightsabers in his face, trapping him against the rock. Dooku seemed willing to surrender, holding his hands up defensively in front of him.

"It seems that I may have underestimated your ability to serve as back-up," he said, his eyes meeting Lena's.

She glared at him, her hand still trembling with the aftershock of his previous attack. Focusing on her anger, Lena willed her hand to be still.

"It may come as a surprise to you Count, but I don't really care what you think of me," she said with a strong voice.

Dooku smirked at her statement, shaking his head.

"Keep telling yourself that, my dear."

Blaze and Fives appeared at Anakin's side with cuffs. They moved forward and placed them around Dooku's wrists and pulled him to his feet. Blaze held onto him with one hand, using the other to point his blaster at him in case he got any ideas. Lena could feel the anger rolling off of him, and as much as she wanted him to pull the trigger, she prayed he wouldn't.

"You will answer for your crimes Dooku, both against the Republic and the Jedi order," Anakin said as he followed closely behind the chained Count.

Lena stood in place as they led him away. She watched them lead Dooku to a landing craft. As pleased as she was that Dooku was finally captured, she felt like something wasn't quite right. Her suspicions were soon answered when the sound of a ship was heard overhead. People ducked for cover when a barrage of shots were fired at the captive and his captors. The shots weren't the only things that had fallen from the sky. The pilot had also dropped some small explosives that had gone unnoticed by the others. Lena saw one on the ground close to where Rex and Ahsoka had taken shelter from the attack.

"Ahsoka!" Lena called out as one of the other explosives went off, drowning out her warning.

Lena ran in the direction of the unaware Captain and padawan. Just as she got close, she heard the beep that indicated the explosive near them was about to go off. She gathered her strength again, and held out her hands, sending Rex and Ahsoka flying away from danger with the force. In her effort to remove them from danger, Lena realized too late that she had put herself in danger. The explosive went off, sending her flying backwards. Her head hit the ground hard, knocking her unconscious.

* * *

Rex's ears rung from the close explosion. He hadn't known it was coming, but what confused him more was that he hadn't been knocked over by the blast. He had been knocked off his feet before the explosion happened. As he gazed around the blast zone, he saw everyone around him running around. He noticed Blaze run in the direction the blast had come from. He emerged from the smoke a few moments later with a limp-bodied Lena draped across his arms.

Through the ringing in his ears, Rex could hear Blaze shouting orders, but he couldn't hear exactly what he said. His eyes never left Lena's form as she was carried to the landing craft to be taken for medical attention. It was at that moment that he noticed Dooku was nowhere around. Skywalker was staggering to his feet, frustration and anger clear in his expression.

"Master? What happened?" Ahsoka asked as she made her way over to Anakin.

"Ventress. I'm assuming she was flying that ship and was able to cause a diversion to let Dooku get away."

Ahsoka's expression fell at his words. Her eyes drifted from her master to the departing craft. Rex followed her gaze and noticed that the doors were still open on the craft so he could see Keebo sitting on the floor with her unconscious master's head in her lap as she nursed her own injured arm. His heart sank at the sight. His previous gut feeling from before had been correct. This mission had gone as badly as the previous one.

 **A/N: More of Lena's and Dooku's story will be revealed later on. There will also be more information in the prequel to this story when it is eventually written. I hope you enjoyed this chapter and please review!**


	7. Chapter 7

**A/N: This chapter changes viewpoints quite a few times as everyone deals with the aftermath of the battle, so sorry if you get confused as to whose head you are in at the time. This chapter will also be quite short, for which I apologize. Hope you enjoy this chapter!**

 **Language guide**

 _ **Eswo**_ **: Twi-lek term of endearment. Means beloved.**

 _ **Cyar'ika**_ **: Mando'a word for sweetheart.**

Keebo sat on the floor of the transport holding her arm still to keep it from jostling with the movements of the ship, as she was pretty sure it was broken and was not enjoying the stabbing pain every time it moved the smallest amount. She looked down at her unconscious master's head that was resting in her lap, worry creasing her forehead. A broken arm she could live with, but Lena had been blown backwards by an explosion and hit her head, an explosion that she had been nowhere near when Keebo had last seen her. Keebo glanced up at Blaze, wondering if he knew what had transpired in the short period of time between Dooku's capture and the explosion.

"Blaze, how did she get hit? She wasn't anywhere near the place the explosion originated from," she asked.

The clone commander shook his head, giving his unconscious general a look that was half disapproval and half admiration.

"She pushed Commander Tano and Captain Rex out of the way, getting too close in the process."

Keebo sighed as she looked back down to her master. She reached out to touch her mind with the force, but found nothing, which concerned her more. They needed to get her medical help soon.

* * *

The transport landed in the hangar of their cruiser, the sides lifting as soon as they touched down. The med team hurried to where Keebo was sitting, lifting Lena onto a hoverbed to transport her to the med-bay. Blaze helped Keebo to her feet and wrapped his arm around her waist to guide her from the transport to the med-bay. She leaned into him, still cradling her arm against her midsection. When they reached the med-bay, Blaze released her into the care of one of his brothers so he could brief the head medic about Lena's situation.

"What happened down there Blaze?" Chip asked as he ran the scanner over Lena to assess her injuries.

"We managed to destroy the droids in the camp, but they brought Dooku with them. He shocked her, which took her down but she was able to move past it and continue fighting, He was eventually captured, but that bald chick that serves him dropped explosives on us. Lena put herself in danger to save others. She was blown backwards by the explosion."

Chip looked at his datapad as the scan finished, looking at the results of the scan. His brow furrowed in concern as his eyes skimmed the information.

"We need to get her into a bacta tank immediately. She doesn't have any bleeding in her brain, but she probably still has a concussion. I'm more concerned about the burns from the explosion," he said as he pointed to areas where Lena's clothes were burned.

Blaze nodded in understanding, glad to hear that her head injury wasn't as serious as it could have been. He backed away from the bed to give Chip space to work, making his way back to where Keebo was sitting. Her arm was in a sling across her chest and a med-droid was currently applying bacta-gel to scrapes on her exposed mid-drift.

"How much pain are you in?" Blaze asked quietly, taking her other hand in his.

"The bacta-gel and pain meds help so not much. Small scrapes and a fracture in my arm. I'll be alright _cyar'ika_ ," Keebo said, giving him a reassuring smile.

Blaze sighed in relief. When he had heard Keebo shriek in pain, his heart had nearly stopped.

"I don't think I would have hurt my arm as badly if Ahsoka hadn't landed on me," Keebo continued.

Blaze chuckled at her comment. "I don't think she meant to. I'm glad you are alright."

Keebo's smile faded as she saw Lena's bed float by in the direction of the bacta tank. Blaze squeezed her hand gently to comfort her.

"She will be alright _eswo_ Keebo _._ Chip said her head injury isn't as bad as it could have been. The bacta solution will help heal her burns and give her a chance to heal. She's been through worse."

Even as he said it, Blaze wasn't completely sure of his own words. Lena was strong, but he was concerned that the shock she took from Dooku's lightning could have caused damage that couldn't be picked up on the scan. He didn't pretend to know much about the force and what affect it had on people. He just hoped Lena would pull through this.

* * *

Once the arrangements had been made for troops to secure the area and keep more droid from moving in, Rex returned to the Resolute with Skywalker and Ahsoka. Silence was present between the three of them, but even without the force, Rex could feel the frustration coming from Skywalker and the worry coming from Ahsoka. He knew she was concerned about Lena, they all were. Something that bothered him was that he hadn't noticed the explosive until it went off. On top of that, how had he not been hurt? When they reached the Resolute, Rex stopped Ahsoka before she could walk away.

"Hey kid, did you pull me away from the explosion?"

Ahsoka gave him a look of confusion, shaking her head. "No. I thought you knocked me out of the way."

"I didn't even know it was coming, so I couldn't have."

Ahsoka's eyes suddenly widened, concerning Rex.

"It was Lena. She pushed us away from the explosion. She saved us," Ahsoka said, her face falling.

Rex felt a sting in his chest. Lena had put herself in danger to save him, a clone trooper she barely knew.

"Why would she do that?" he asked in disbelief.

"Because she has a kind heart," a voice behind them said.

Rex turned around to see General Skywalker standing behind him. He could see the tension in the General's face, which didn't mean good news.

"Master, how is Lena? Is she alright?" Ahsoka asked, her voice breaking slightly.

"I spoke to Blaze. He said that she most likely has a concussion and has been put in a bacta tank to help heal the burns she got in the explosion. That's all he knew. Until she is out of the bacta tank, they can't do anything for her."

"What about Keebo?" Ahsoka asked, "I think I landed on her when Dooku threw us. She looked hurt when they left."

"She has a fracture in her arm and a few small scrapes. She will be alright."

Rex was glad that Keebo was alright, but he still felt sick that Lena was hurt saving him. He bid goodbye to the two Jedi and made his way to his quarters to clean himself up from the battle. Once he was cleaned up and in his night wear, he laid down to rest. When he closed his eyes, all he could see was Lena's limp form in Blaze's arms. His eyes shot open and he sat up in bed. He cursed out loud to the empty room.

He had been having a hard enough time keeping his thoughts off of her, but now she had gone and saved him not once, but twice in the same battle. Because of that, she was severely injured. Rex wracked his brain to figure out how to deal with the guilt he felt over that. No matter what, he had to find a way to make it up to her.

 **A/N: Like I said, this chapter was really short, as it is more of a filler. I thought it would be a cute couple thing for Keebo and Blaze to speak in each other's language to each other, so that will be a thing that pops up from time to time. Please review and let me know what you think. Reviews are fuel for writers, they keep us going!**


	8. Chapter 8

Lena woke in the infirmary a week after the mission. Her head was pounding from a mixture of hitting it on the ground and the pain drugs Chip had been giving her. As her eyes brought the room around her into focus, she searched for a familiar face. A pair of voices speaking softly across the room caught her attention. Keebo was talking to Chip as he showed her something on his data pad. Her throat dry from her unconscious state, Lena couldn't form any words, so she made a coughing noise to grab their attention. Both of them turned to look at her. Keebo's face lit up and she quickly made her way across the room to Lena's bedside.

"Master you're awake!" she said a little too loudly, causing Lena to wince at the pain in her head.

Keebo's joy faded a bit at Lena's wince. She gave her an apologetic look and lowered her voice.

"I'm sorry master. I'm glad to see you with your eyes open."

Lena reached out and patted Keebo's hand reassuringly.

"My head is killing me, but I'll live."

A quiet chuckle at her side brought Lena's attention to the medic standing on the other side of her bed.

"You Jedi have a habit of getting yourselves blown up. Kix was over here helping me tend to you as he just went through the same thing with General Skywalker. We both wish that you would be more careful around explosions," he said, his expression turning to one of concern.

"I didn't try to get blown up, I was saving others from getting blown up," Lena said defensively.

"Now you sound like General Skywalker," Keebo said, laughing softly.

Chip's eyes widened and he shook his head in horror.

"Please don't use him as an example for battle actions. Kix told me all about the injuries he has had to treat. I would like both of you to stay in one piece."

Keebo gestured at her arm sling with her unhurt arm. "This wasn't my fault. Ahsoka landed on me. I would have gotten away with a few scrapes otherwise."

Lena's eyes narrowed in concern at her apprentice. She had been hurt fighting Dooku when Lena had been knocked down by his initial attack. When she let herself be weakened, people had been hurt. She needed to get over her fear of Dooku and focus on defeating him, before she got someone killed by freezing up.

Chip seemed to notice her internal distress. He dismissed Keebo, telling her that Lena needed to rest. Once her apprentice was out of the room, he pinned her with a pitying look.

"It isn't your fault that you are scared of him Lena."

Lena rolled her eyes, trying to brush away his concern, inwardly cursing his intuitive nature.

"Sometimes I think you can read my mind," she said.

"No, I just know you struggle with it. You have since you found out what he did when you were a child, and his need to eliminate you as an adult has increased it."

Lena sighed. She knew he was right. Still, she needed to control her fear. Fear was not something that Jedi were supposed to deal with. Fear led to anger, which according to Master Yoda, eventually led to the dark side.

"It is something I need to overcome. Keebo and my men are my responsibility. Dooku is one of the prominent leaders of the organization we fight against, so he is everywhere. I will not allow others to suffer because of my trauma."

"Everyone has their demons, even the Jedi. To be afraid is to be human," Chip said, moving away from her bed.

Lena thought about his words. To be afraid was to be human. Feeling anything was part of being alive. Fear, sadness, joy, and even love. Her training as a Jedi had ingrained in her the need to dismiss those feelings and focus on the force. She had always struggled with that particular part of the Jedi code, something she suspected she had learned from her masters. Lena settled into her bed and closed her eyes to rest, Chip's words present in her mind.

* * *

Another week passed before Chip gave Lena the go-ahead to return to duty. Keebo was still out of combat due to her broken arm, but her battalion of men were still on the planet assisting the 501st under Blaze's leadership. Lena was wary to return to battle, but it wasn't fair to leave such a large amount of droids for Anakin and Ahsoka to deal with. Once Chip had officially cleared her, Lena donned her Jedi robes again. Her long hair had been down for her infirmary stay, so she was glad to put it back in her braided bun. She wrapped the long braid around itself, leaving the usual tail sticking out the middle to hang past her shoulders. Looking at herself in the mirror, she was satisfied with her appearance. She clipped her lightsaber onto her belt and left her quarters, heading for the hangar.

Lena climbed into her purple and grey Starfighter and started the engine. Getting the signal from the hangar attendant, she took off and left the cruiser, heading for the planet below. Entering the coordinates that Admiral Yularen had passed off to her, she flew towards the Republic base camp on the surface. Once she had landed and exited her Starfighter, she heard someone calling her name. She turned to see Anakin walking towards her.

"I wasn't expecting you back so soon," he said, a look of concern crossing his face.

"Chip cleared me and since Keebo is out of the action, I figured you could use some more help."

Anakin glanced around, shrugging. "I mean, we're doing alright, but I guess some extra help wouldn't hurt."

Lena looked at him in disbelief, shaking her head at his attempt at joking. She pushed past him to move into the camp.

"How have things been going?" she asked. "I hope my men have been helpful."

Anakin walked beside her, minimizing his strides to keep pace with her smaller ones. He gestured to the different groups of clones around the camp. The purple and blue were intermixed, showing their brotherhood.

"The 501st and 394th seem to work well together. I can't say the same for Blaze and Rex. They seem to have been butting heads a lot. Well, I mean Blaze talks constantly and Rex stews in silence, if you can call that butting heads."

Lena laughed. She hadn't expected Blaze and Rex to get along smoothly. Rex seemed to have a very different personality than her Commander. She just hoped Blaze hadn't driven him crazy.

Lena and Anakin reached the command tent and entered to find exactly what Anakin had been talking about. Blaze, Rex, and Ahsoka were all standing around a holomap of the area around them. Blaze and Rex were vehemently disagreeing about something on the map. Ahsoka stood with her arms crossed over her chest, rolling her eyes at the two men next to her.

"Come on boys, can't you get along long enough for me to heal?" Lena said, interrupting the argument.

All three people turned at the sound of her voice, various expressions covering their faces. Ahsoka's face lit up in excitement and Blaze's anger slipping into amusement at her words.

"Lena! You're back!" Ahsoka let out, moving around the table to hug her.

"It's good to see you on your feet again General," Blaze said from his position next to Rex.

Lena raised an eyebrow at him. "General? Blaze, I think you've spent too much time around Rex."

Blaze shrugged at his verbal mishap, eliciting a smile from Lena. She turned her attention to Rex, and was surprised to see a mixture of emotions covering his face. In the short period of time she had known him, he always seemed stoic and composed. Now she was seeing guilt and something else she couldn't quite decipher.

"Rex. I'm glad you and Ahsoka weren't injured in the explosion," she said, trying to break the ice.

Rex simply nodded in response, the guilt covering his expression fully. Lena was unsure what was going through his head, but decided not to push it. She moved to stand next to Blaze and looked at the map in front of her.

"So what were you two arguing about when I came in here?"

* * *

Rex hadn't expected Lena to return, especially not so soon. He hadn't finished wrestling with the overwhelming guilt in his head, and wasn't ready to face her quite yet. When she had spoken to him, he had only silence for her in response. He had seen the look of confusion on her face and the disappointment in Ahsoka's. Once they had finally settled on the next move against the Seppies, everyone else had cleared out of the tent, leaving him alone with Ahsoka.

"Rex, what is your problem?" she asked with a hint of anger in her voice. "Lena was hurt saving you and the only thing you give her when she returns is silence? I thought you liked her."

Rex sighed and walked away without replying to the young Togruta. He could feel the curiosity and annoyance rolling off her and he had had enough arguing today.

"Just leave it alone kid. It's not worth dwelling on," he muttered as he left the tent.

But dwelling on it was exactly what Rex had been doing for the past two weeks. He didn't know if it was his physical reaction to her that had increased his guilt tenfold or if he was angry at himself for not noticing the danger himself. He had been debating between the two since he saw her unconscious form in Blaze's arms. He was at war with himself. It was making him unfocused. At least battle gave him something else to think about.

As Rex rounded the corner of tents in his path to his own, he bumped into someone. Reaching out to stop the person from falling over from the force of the impact, Rex found his arms around the very woman he was anguishing over.

"General! I'm sorry about that," he said, steadying her on her feet.

Lena looked up and gave him a small smile. "No harm. I wasn't watching where I was going."

Rex was frozen in place, his hands still gripping Lena's arms. Even through his gloves and her clothing, Rex could feel how warm she was. Ironically, the sensation had the opposite effect on him, sending a shiver down his spine. He quickly released her and took a step back.

"I should have been more aware of my surroundings," he said firmly.

Lena's smile faded, causing a twinge in his heart. His attempt at being professional was coming across too harsh. If he kept this up, he wouldn't have to worry about acting on his feelings, as she would probably start to dislike him.

Lena moved to walk around him, and Rex felt the overwhelming urge to pull her to him again. He clenched his hands at his sides and turned to watch her walk away. As a last ditch effort to remedy his behavior, he called out to her.

"Lena?"

She turned back to look at him, waiting for him to continue.

"Welcome back."

Lena's smile returned, erasing the twinge he had felt before.

"Thank you Rex."

She gave him a small wave before turning and continuing on her way. Rex flexed his hands as he watched her until she was out of sight. If he was going to continue to keep his composure, he needed to avoid touching her again. The small amount of contact from simply keeping her from falling had been overwhelming. If it happened again, he would be a lost cause.

 **A/N: Hope you enjoyed the chapter. Please review and let me know what you think! Reviews are writer fuel!**


	9. Chapter 9

The 501st and 394th worked together for nearly a month, taking parts of the planet back from separatist control one battle at a time. Once Keebo had healed, she had rejoined the fight. Lena was glad to have her padawan back at her side. The two groups worked together well, with four Jedi and two capable clone leaders leading them to victory nearly every battle.

Off the battlefield, Lena noticed something seemed off with the Captain of the 501st. Rex seemed to avoid her at every opportunity. She wondered what she had done to make him wary of her. Every time she got anywhere near him, all she could sense was guilt and heightened anxiety. Nothing like the focused and determined man he was on the battlefield. The change in his behavior bothered her more than it probably should. While sitting in the tent she shared with Keebo and Ahsoka, Lena decided to voice her concerns to the younger women.

"Have either of you noticed something wrong with Rex?"

Ahsoka looked up from her data pad, a conflicted look crossing her features before it disappeared.

"Not really. Why?"

Lena narrowed her eyes at the young togruta. She could tell that Ahsoka knew something was up.

"I've sensed unusual amounts of anxiety from him lately. I was just concerned that something was bothering him."

Lena saw a small smirk of amusement cross Keebo's face. Unlike Ahsoka, she had no filter to keep her emotions hidden.

"Keebo? Do you know something?"

Ahsoka's eyes frantically moved to look at Keebo, widening to convey some secret message. Keebo didn't seem to understand her pointed look, or just chose to ignore it.

"I think he's anxious about a woman," she said, smiling at Ahsoka.

Ahsoka groaned quietly and shook her head. Lena felt more confused than before. Rex didn't seem like the type to be frazzled by a relationship. Also, Ahsoka's reactions were concerning her. She seemed upset that Keebo had said what she did.

"Ahsoka, is that true?"

Ahsoka bit her lip nervously and refused to look Lena in the eye. Her aversion raised Lena's concern.

"Ahsoka. Answer me truthfully. Are you involved with Captain Rex?" Lena asked.

Keebo snorted in laughter as Ahsoka's eyes widened in shock.

"What?! No!" Ahsoka blurted out.

Lena was taken aback by her outburst. She reached out and placed her hand on Ahsoka's shoulder.

"I wouldn't have been upset if you had said yes Ahsoka. My only concern would have been if the two of you were hiding it from Anakin. That could have been the source of Rex's anxiety, and we need him to be focused on the battlefield. Honesty between a master and padawan is very important for the relationship to function well."

Lena turned her head to look at Keebo when she heard another chuckle.

"If honesty is so important, then by all means, I should be honest with you master," she said.

"Keebo, don't. It's not your place to share the information. If he wanted her to know, he would tell her himself," Ahsoka interjected, shaking her head at Keebo.

"Tell me what?" Lena asked. "If I did something that concerns Rex, I need to know so I can address the problem with him directly."

Their conversation was interrupted by the sound of Lena's commlink beeping. Lena answered it, hearing Anakin's voice on the other end.

"I need the three of you in the briefing tent."

"We'll be right there," Lena said before releasing the button. She pointed at both Ahsoka and Keebo, a determined look on her face. "This conversation is not over until I get an answer out of one of you."

The three of them made their way towards the briefing tent. Lena could hear the two young women whispering to each other as they walked behind her, no doubt talking about their previous conversation. She wasn't any more in the know about the situation with Rex than she was before she brought it up. Pushing the issue to the back of her mind, Lena entered the tent, lifting the flap for the two padawans to follow her in. Glancing across the holo-table, Lena saw a familiar figure standing beside Anakin.

"Obi-Wan? What are you doing here?" she asked in surprise.

Both men looked up at her question. Anakin looked awkward as he glanced between Lena and his former master. Obi-Wan gave her a small smile in greeting, a peace offering she guessed.

"Hello Lena. Glad to see you in good health. I heard you took a page from Anakin's book and got yourself blown up."

Anakin rolled his eyes at Obi-Wan's comment.

"For your information, she got blown up in the process of saving Rex and Ahsoka from an attack from Ventress," he pointed out.

"Ah," Obi-Wan remarked, keeping his focus on Lena. "Well I'm afraid that I don't come with good news. Lena you have a new assignment."

Lena raised her eyebrows questioningly. "And what is that?" she asked.

"We have received some intelligence about the location of a Separatist leader, and we need someone to go undercover and capture him. Someone who is not well known and can blend in well."

"So neither of you," Ahsoka said jokingly.

"Hey! I can blend in!" Anakin said defensively.

Lena laughed softly at his offended tone. "No offense Anakin, but I think any Seppie would see you coming a star system away."

Anakin made a 'hmft' noise before giving Obi-Wan a small wave to continue.

"You won't be going alone. You will need a qualified partner that also won't raise any suspicions and would work with a plausible cover story," Obi-Wan continued.

"So not me or Blaze," Keebo interjected.

Obi-Wan nodded in agreement. "I think either Cody or Rex would be the best option."

Lena glanced over to where Rex was standing between Anakin and Ahsoka. He was paying strict attention to the briefing, but pointedly not looking at her. Maybe this would be her opportunity to get some answers.

"I'll take Rex," Lena said.

That seemed to get his attention. For the first time in weeks, Rex looked directly at her. Lena could feel the anxiety rolling off of him again. Hopefully he wouldn't be like that the entire mission.

"Very well. The two of you can return to the Resolute and Admiral Yularen will give you the information you need," Obi-Wan said, nodding in approval.

* * *

Rex couldn't believe his ears when he heard Lena choose him for her mission partner. When Kenobi had suggested himself or Cody as candidates, his heart had been pounding, as if it was shouting at Lena to choose him. He was going to be alone with her in an unofficial setting where they weren't being themselves. This both excited him and terrified him.

When they returned to the Resolute, Admiral Yularen briefed them on the details of the mission. They were going to some outer rim planet run by gambling to capture a Seppie leader while he was there making a deal for Count Dooku. At the mention of Dooku's name, he saw Lena tense up, but Yularen assured her that Dooku himself would not be there and she seemed to relax.

First things first, they needed to pose as people that would normally be seen on the planet. That meant they needed to not look like a Jedi knight and Clone captain. For Rex, that meant stripping off his protective armor and replacing it with black pants and a variety of shirts in many colors. A large black jacket completed his look, making him feel bulky. Looking in the mirror, Rex scowled at his reflection. He looked like a tough low-life from the lower levels of Coruscant. He clipped a holster to each thigh and secured his blasters, turning away from his reflection to leave the room with the bag of spare clothes and a variety of other things they would need.

When he exited into the hallway, he came face to face with Lena. His eyes scanned her outfit and he suddenly felt very flushed. Lena had traded her usual Jedi garb for something a little less modest. A skimpy blue top with lacey bits that showed more skin than it covered was paired with tight black pants and grey boots that went up past her knees. Her long hair was out of its usual braid and most of it flowed freely behind her from a loose bun on the back of her head.

Lena spread her arms out to showcase her outfit. "Well? What do you think?"

Rex clenched his jaw to keep it from hanging open as he looked at her. It would probably be best if he kept his honest opinion to himself.

"You look different, so I guess that's good," he offered.

Lena gave his outfit a once over before nodding her head in approval. "You look very different as well Captain."

Rex was certain he saw a gleam of something in her eyes as she said that, but he dismissed it. The two of them grabbed their bags and made their way to the hangar bay. Anakin had left the Twilight for them to use, something Rex was not overly thrilled about. He didn't really understand why his General kept the piece of junk, but it would work for their mission so he didn't really have anything to complain about. At least he would be flying and not Skywalker.

Once he and Lena had boarded the ship and were ready to go, the hangar crew started the process for them to leave. The Twilight left the hangar of the Resolute and Rex punched in the coordinates Yularen had given him. The ship jumped into hyperspace, leaving everyone else behind and leaving Rex and Lena together on their way to their mission.

 **A/N: Hope you all enjoyed this chapter! Please review and let me know what you think. Reviews are writer fuel!**


	10. Chapter 10

When Lena and Rex reached their destination, Rex flew the Twilight over the city their assignment was in. Finding a place to dock the ship, he landed it with a jerking motion. Lena grabbed on to her armrests to steady herself, looking at Rex in surprise.

"Sorry about that. This ship doesn't have much grace. General Skywalker and Ahsoka commandeered it on their first mission together and are rather attached to it even though it's a piece of junk."

Lena nodded in understanding, knowing Anakin had a thing for junky mechanical items that he could fix. It seemed this ship was beyond his help though. Unbuckling herself, she moved to grab her things. She noticed that her new outfit didn't have a good place to hide her lightsaber. Lena opened the bag she had been provided with and was glad to find a piece that functioned like a pack, allowing her to hide the lightsaber in a decorative tube meant to accent her top. It was a little less practical than its normal position on her hip, but it would work. Slipping the accessory over her shoulders, Lena covered it with a long gray coat and flipped her long hair over her back. Turning around, she noticed Rex staring at her.

"Rex? Is there a problem?"

Rex seemed to realize that he had been staring and averted his eyes and cleared his throat.

"No Gen…err…Lena…"

Lena sighed. He still seemed to struggle with how to address her, even after spending two months around each other.

"You definitely can't call me General here. It will blow our cover," Lena said, grabbing her bag to leave the ship.

"I know. I'm sorry. Calling you by your name just seems overly personal, and we don't know each other very well."

Lena pushed the button on the wall to lower the ramp before turning to face him.

"Well, our cover story is that we are a couple so we will just have to get to know each other then."

She smiled at him and stepped closer, grabbing his free hand to show their fictional relationship. The two of them descended the ramp before it closed behind them. Rex entered some credits they had been provided into the terminal and they made their way into the city.

* * *

Following the directions they were given, the pair found their accommodations. Entering their suite, they were greeted by the sight of a single room with an attached 'fresher. Rex's eyes went immediately to the only bed in the room. Glancing at Lena, he tried to gauge her reaction.

"Looks like we will be sleeping in shifts," she said, shrugging out of her coat and placing it on the bed, "unless you don't mind sharing?"

Rex knew that sharing a bed would be the opposite of a good idea. He shook his head and pointed to the small table with chairs beside him.

"I'm fine with sleeping in shifts. I'll take first watch."

Lena shrugged and turned her back to him, walking into the 'fresher with her bag. She emerged a few minutes later in different clothes. Rex looked up from his datapad and groaned internally. Lena's sleeping clothes were a lot less revealing than her previous outfit, shorts and a tank top that only covered the top part of her torso.

"Rex? You're making that face again. Is there something wrong?"

Rex cursed under his breath, scolding himself for not keeping his expressions in check.

"It's just odd to see you in clothes that differ so much from your normal look."

Lena looked down at herself and he could see that her cheeks were flushed. He was making her self-conscious, when what he really wanted to do was compliment her. But if he did that, there would be no coming back from it. He would have to find a happy medium.

"Not that it's a bad thing. Your clothes just don't look quite like your style."

Lena gestured at her current outfit. "Actually these belong to Keebo. Normally I dress quite warm when sleeping, but this planet is very warm so I had to find something else."

Rex nodded in understanding. It made sense that the clothes belonged to Keebo. Lena's apprentice didn't dress as modestly as her master. He figured it was a Twi'lek thing since General Secura dressed in a similar manner. He didn't really understand Jedi fashion, or fashion in general.

Rex returned his attention to his datapad, not wanting to continue the uncomfortable conversation. Lena didn't seem to want to talk anymore on the topic either and went about her business. When he glanced back up, Rex noticed that she was sitting cross-legged on the floor with her eyes closed. He assumed she was meditating, so he stayed silent to avoid disturbing her. As he observed her peaceful state, he thought about what he had said to her earlier.

He had pointed out that they didn't know each other very well, and that was something he desperately wanted to change. He liked to know how things worked, including people and their personalities. It made him feel more at ease if he knew things about people.

"You're staring again Rex. I can sense it. If you want to ask me something, just ask."

Rex was amazed that she could tell he was yearning to talk to her. He just hoped that was the only thing she could sense.

"Why did you choose me to come along on this mission?" he asked.

Lena's eyes opened and she looked conflicted as to what her answer was.

"I guess I thought it would be less awkward. As much as I like Cody and we have worked together many times, it would just be a little too close to home."

Rex had a feeling she was talking about Kenobi. He didn't know what had happened there, but obviously it had put quite a rift between the two Jedi. Lena was wrong about it being less awkward, at least on his part.

"Judging by your lack of questioning why, I'm guessing Ahsoka filled you in on some things about my relationship with Obi-Wan."

Rex shook his head. "Not really. She only said there was tension, she didn't elaborate."

"Tension?" she asked in amusement, "that's a nice way to put it. I guess that works though. Having Cody as my mission partner would just make things worse in the end I imagine. Besides, I know you are a dependable partner. Both Anakin and Ahsoka speak very highly of you."

"I didn't know many people took General Skywalker's opinion seriously. It seems like a lot of people don't have much faith in him," Rex said.

Lena's smile faded a little. "A lot of people underestimate him because he's so young and reckless, but if you really know him like Obi-Wan and I do, you see he can be a good leader. I think having you and Ahsoka at his side has helped him mature a lot."

Rex preened internally at the compliment. Usually he and his brothers were commended via their Jedi leadership, not the other way around. He was glad that Lena saw him in such a positive light, even though he hadn't been particularly friendly to her in their time together.

"I think it's time that I get some rest," Lena said as she stood from her position on the floor, "I want you to wake me in 6 hours so we can switch shifts and allow you to get some rest as well."

Rex agreed and dimmed the lights in the room to allow Lena to sleep. He sat in his chair, his blasters sitting next to him on the table. Every so often he would glance over to Lena's unconscious form on the bed. Her peaceful state made her even more beautiful than he already thought she was. He hoped this mission wouldn't be too long, or he may do something he would later regret.

* * *

The following evening, Rex and Lena made their way to the club where they would find the Separatist leader. He wouldn't be arriving until the following evening, but they wanted to integrate themselves into the environment so they wouldn't look out of place when he did arrive.

Maintaining their couple image, Lena held Rex's hand as they entered the club. Her hand felt small in comparison to his, but to be truthful, a lot of her was small compared to him. Walking beside his tall form while holding his hand made her feel safe a protected. Not that she needed protecting, she could very well handle herself if anyone gave them trouble.

Once they reached the bar, Rex called out to the bartender to order drinks. Lena looked around the club, taking in the environment around her. Colorful neon lights dotted the walls, illuminating the otherwise dark room. Music boomed from various speakers, drowning out all other sound. People were everywhere, some dancing in the center and some sitting in seating areas around the room.

Lena could see why Keebo would have been an unwise choice for a mission partner and why Ahsoka hadn't even been an option. A lot of the couples on the dance floor were almost intimate with their dancing, providing an example why this club was definitely not a place a teenager should be. Lena was sure that there were many other things going on around her that would be common in the lower levels of Coruscant. The outfits she and Rex had been given suddenly made sense. She had decided to wear something similar to her outfit from the day before, only with a dark red cropped tank with beads embroidered on it. It seemed modest compared to what some of the other women in the club were wearing.

While she had been observing her surroundings, Lena hadn't realized that her hand had slipped from Rex's. She had been pulled away from him by the moving crowd and soon found herself near the edge of the dance floor. In the darkness of the room, she couldn't locate him, which meant she was on her own. The pounding music ended as a voice called out over a microphone.

"Alright, it's time for the ladies to have some fun!" the voice said, earning some cheers from the male patrons of the club.

Lena found herself being moved against her will again as the crowd moved around her. Her small form was easily pushed onto the dance floor alongside many other women. The booming of the music began again and the others around her began to dance. Lena had never been much of a dancer, but decided to use her Jedi training in grace to assist her. Imitating the moves of those around her along with motions she had observed before, Lena began to dance. The cheering she had heard before had begun again, the men of the crowd obviously enjoying the show.

"Now ladies, find a partner of your choice and invite him to join you!" the voice called out again.

Lena searched the crowd desperately, trying to locate Rex. Finally, she found him, but he had been pulled out onto the dance floor by another woman. The woman pulled Rex close to her and continued her dance. He seemed to be enjoying it. Lena felt an unpleasant feeling in her chest, something she had experienced before, jealousy. She wasn't sure where it had stemmed from, but something in her wanted to pull the other woman away from him. Burying the feeling, Lena pushed her way off the dancefloor. She needed to get outside and get some air to clear her head.

The blast of cool air she felt when she left the club chilled her, but it was better than the overwhelming heat inside. Lena sat down on the steps at the entrance of the club. She considered the feeling she had experienced when she saw Rex with the other woman. Why had she felt jealous? Before that instance, Lena hadn't felt anything like that for Rex. He was an attractive man, in more than just physical ways, but she hadn't really given it much thought. Maybe that was why she cared so much that he had been avoiding her, why she cared about what he thought of her.

Lena groaned and buried her head in her hands. She didn't need this right now. She was still dealing with the emotional turmoil that had been caused by her fall out with Obi-Wan. Once she had experienced that pain, she had decided that she didn't want to go through it again, but here she was. Lena's inner turmoil was interrupted by someone touching her shoulder. She jumped at the contact and looked up to see a tall man standing behind her.

"Are you alright? A beautiful lady like yourself shouldn't be out here alone," he said.

Lena quickly got to her feet, ready to defend herself if needed. The man stepped closer to her, causing her to take a step back.

"I'm fine," she retorted, hoping he would leave her alone.

"Well if that's the case, why don't we get out of here? I know this city pretty well and can show you a good time," he said with a hopeful grin.

"No thanks. I'm going to head back inside."

Lena tried to edge away from the man, reaching for the door handle. She didn't want to cause a scene if she could avoid it. The man placed his hand on the door frame, keeping it closed and blocking her escape.

"You look pretty lonely. I insist that you let me remedy that."

Lena raised her hand, ready to use the force to defend herself. Before she could do anything, the man was shoved away from in front of her.

"She said she wasn't interested. Now get lost," Rex said, moving to stand between Lena and the man.

"Back off man, I saw her first," the stranger said, stupidly moving in Lena's direction again.

Rex's fist collided with the man's face before he could get very far, knocking him backwards to the ground. The man seemed to take the hint after that and scrambled to his feet, leaving them alone. Rex spun around to face Lena.

"Are you alright?" he asked with concern.

Lena was glad that Rex had been the one to get rid of the man as her method would have blown their cover. She still felt the sting of jealousy tugging at her heart though and it fueled her response.

"I'm fine. You can go back to dancing with your lady friend now."

Lena felt like she couldn't control the words coming out of her mouth. Embarrassed by what she had said, she turned and walked down the stairs in the direction of their accommodations. Rex wasn't far behind her, calling after her.

"Lena, wait!"

Lena ignored his call and walked faster. When she reached their room, she slammed the door shut behind her and went into the only place she could hide, the 'fresher. She heard Rex enter the room and walk over to the 'fresher door.

"Lena, what's wrong? Did something happen?" he asked, knocking on the door.

"It's nothing Rex. Please just leave me alone."

Lena sunk to the floor against the wall as she listened to him walk away. She was so angry at herself. Not only did she realize that feelings had developed for Rex, but it had surfaced in a moment of jealousy. Then she had proceeded to embarrass herself by yelling at him for something he hadn't done intentionally. It was obvious that he did not see her in the same way. It was simply something she would have to deal with until the end of their mission.

 **A/N: I hope you all enjoyed this chapter! Please review and let me know what you think!**


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